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Bill O’Reilly Doesn’t Share Bernie Goldberg’s Mocking Outrage Over AttackWatch

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Fox News media analyst Bernie Goldberg appeared on The O’Reilly Factor last night and predictably ridiculed AttackWatch, the website recently launched by the Obama campaign designed to “get the facts, fight the smears.” While host Bill O’Reilly was somewhat dismissive of the campaign marketing effort, he didn’t exactly share Goldberg’s level of outrage and mockery, correctly observing that the hotly debated website was a basic marketing effort.

First, some background: Last week, the Obama reelection campaign launched AttackWatch, a controversial, scary-looking website that builds a database of curious visitors, and collects user-generated content designed to report on unfair smears or falsehoods spread by Obama detractors. Right-of-center media pundits (particularly online) have derided the effort — calling it a “laughingstock” — while Obama’s campaign has called it a success, having built a database of 100,000 subscribers in it’s first day.

Goldberg’s method for criticizing the site was to envision O’Reilly setting up a similar site for his detractors, to report on similar critiques. To suggest that an opinion media cable host — arguably the most influential of the lot — is in anyway similar to a political campaign to reelect the president reveals both Goldberg’s short-sightedness, and his willingness to fluff his pal, who consistently has him on-air, regardless of whether he shares any new ideas or not.

While O’Reilly seemed to show some disregard for AttackWatch, claiming it “doesn’t exude confidence…this exudes weakness,” he also seemed to understand what many critics have missed. It’s a marketing tool designed to build a database of interested users, a list of engaged by the campaign for financial donations, volunteering, etc. And while it may have merited some mockery from Obama’s detractors (case in point Goldberg), that’s a segment of the market that seems to be willing to mock this administration regardless of what they do, and which wasn’t going to donate, anyway.

O’Reilly’s seeming shrug of AttackWatch’s critics seems to be a more interesting and meaningful moment that the critiques themselves. This is a great example of how O’Reilly’s non-doctrinaire approach makes him so influential.

Watch the segment below, courtesy of Fox News:

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  • http://twitter.com/Good_Lt Good Lt.

    It’s a marketing tool designed to build a database of interested users, a
    list of engaged by the campaign for financial donations, volunteering,
    etc

    Like most Obamabot ideas, it’s a non-starter.

    Most of the subscriptions on that first day were likely from detractors signing up to mock it. The rest are people who already feverishly supported Obama.

    So – no new converts to the Obama religion, and a paranoid website that’s a running joke among his critics.

    Brilliant.

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    In other words, the Teapublicans are lagging in the use of internet and digital tools in campaigning, so let’s attack the leader until we can copy him. Pretty unAmerican, I should say.

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    Already setting up the talking points in case President Obama is
    reelected. Who’ll get blamed this time? ACORN is not around. The NBPP
    monologue just made you look racist and paranoid. Can’t claim President
    Obama hasn’t been vetted. That whole birther thing is gone. Few options
    left it would seem, Big Petty. 

  • Anonymous

    This jackass president is trying to win re-election by acting like a victim.

    Calling him a limp-wrist is no longer an insult; it’s also true.

    #AttackWatch: The gift that keeps on giving.

  • http://twitter.com/Good_Lt Good Lt.

    I’m sorry – I don’t speak Stupid.

    Could you translate that into English?

    Thanks.

  • Anonymous

    Robert’s new favorite website :

    ColbyHallisaHack.com

  • http://twitter.com/Good_Lt Good Lt.

    *Drink!

    Race card thrown.

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    All the Marys in Heaven knows he hasn’t been perpetually bashed, reviled and made the subject of repeated slurs, slanders, libels and lies. The entire Birther Brigade comes to mind. By enumeration and not limitation.

  • Anonymous

    The teleprompter is a digital tool that this ‘Tool’ of a president can’t detach himself from even during speeches to a 3rd grade class.

    Kind of like cigarettes, which I sure hope OBAMO is even more addicted to than ever. Let nature take its course.

  • Anonymous

    This thing is just another dishonest attempt by the man/child to amass unsuspecting victims he can hound to death for campaign contributions.

    You libs truly are the party that goes through life with your eyes closed, but your legs spread wide. 

    Lean Forward now…..

  • http://gregingleright.weebly.com/ Greg

    Media Matters ananlysis gest

  • Anonymous

    Robert the Fett Friseur knows UnAmerikan !

    I should say . And I did .

  • Anonymous

    Robert treats all officials with respect .

    And their families .

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    If the hood fits ….

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    We’ve learned two (2) important facts about you this morning:

    #1 You’re terrified of technology.
    #2 You haven’t any class.

  • Anonymous

    When it comes to leadership, Obama is the old Billy Crystal Fernando character from Saturday Night Live:  (with accent) “Its better to look good than to be good”.  Style over substance, the sizzle over the steak.  So this website to manage perception fits right in.

  • http://twitter.com/Good_Lt Good Lt.

    *Drink!

    Race card thrown again.

  • ChiliPeppersFan

    they’re still trying to spell ‘communist’ and ‘socialist’ correctly on their t-jadist signs.

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    You haven’t started another krappy website in which you appear in multiple personalities asking and answering your own questions, have you? Is that why your initial post on this thread disappeared?

  • http://twitter.com/Good_Lt Good Lt.

    A troll who runs around accusing people who disagree with him on any issue racists lecturing people on class.

    Now I have seen everything.

  • ChiliPeppersFan
  • Anonymous

    As Grand Wizard of the Austin Klan , Robert wears only fitted sheets .

    Also high heels and he carries a smart little handbag .

  • http://twitter.com/Good_Lt Good Lt.

    What’s a “t-jadist?”

  • ChiliPeppersFan

    the race card is thrown when he mentions the faux outrage over the five or six nbpp screaming to five or six people watching them?  the faux outrage led by the faux news channel.

  • http://twitter.com/Good_Lt Good Lt.

    *Drink!

    Race card thrown.

  • Anonymous

    You just asked and answered your own question , Bobbi .

  • Valkyrie101

    In symbolism, a “t”-jadist is someone either suffering, or getting laid regularly.

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    Class begins with not being a racist.

  • Valkyrie101

    I would say that GRB is much higher on the troll pole than the King er Emperor (my suggestion for the next upgrade, “Cosmic Overlord”).

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    And, I assume I made a “W+” for extra wonderful!

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    This may be off topic, in fact, it is way, way off topic, but does anyone know if Jess on the Dominoes Pizza commercial is male or female? I think female, but I’m not sure.

  • Anonymous

    While O’Reilly seemed to show some disregard for AttackWatch, claiming
    it “doesn’t exude confidence…this exudes weakness,” he also seemed to
    understand what many critics have missed. It’s a marketing tool designed to build a database of interested users, a list of engaged by the campaign for financial donations, volunteering, etc.

    So, it’s basically a scam, a ruse, aimed at suckers. Kinda like the Obama presidency. Good point.

  • Valkyrie101

    Imagine how much bigger the stakes are for Goldberg now that he knows that he is talking to the second most powerful man in the world. By extension Goldberg is like, number 3 at that point.

  • http://twitter.com/Good_Lt Good Lt.

    Interesting, um, ‘explanation,’ but I don’t see what that has to do with the poster’s comment.

  • Anonymous

    Sure, that comes with the job. But he’s a had a much bigger problem with the truth, Kook. He really sucks at this. You know what the best idea President Obama ever had was? This:

    http://tinyurl.com/67v8p77

  • Anonymous

    I saw the segment. Goldberg wasn’t mocking “outrage”. He was mocking it as a front to draw in the same dimwits that democrats always depend on for votes, for their email addresses and donation solicitation. In this he is correct.

  • Valkyrie101

    It never occured to me before, but is it possible that the reason that Goldberg is on O’Reilly so much is as an accomodation to Fox’s block of gold advertisers? Yes, and not just gold, but an entire gold berg.

  • Anonymous

    Where does Valkyrie sit in that line? About six billion and something?

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    I liked it when John Stewart said that with President Obama in France and Oprah! in Australia, Tyler Perry was the most important African American in America. So, if President Obama is in Brussels at a summit meeting and Bill-o and a falafel are in a shower stall in the Hague, what does that make Bernie?

  • Anonymous

    Or perhaps they realize that he’s jumped the shark so ridiculously that it’s entertainment gold.

    Watch the Twitter feed, it’s been going on for almost a week and it’s hilarious.

  • Anonymous

    A better human being than you, Kook.

  • dflojak

    I signed up, got two requests for money since last wednesday, now getting daily talking points and cash requests. i keep sending back obnoxious notes and nobody seems to notice. no credit card account attached i guess.

  • Valkyrie101

    Mommie is not letting you watch dancing with the stars? No wonder you are confused.

  • Valkyrie101

    But no, clearly female.

  • dflojak

    If you’re interested I can probably get a number for you. Which would you prefer kingy, or does the suspense excite you even more. I think Chaz Bono knows, I bet you loved, uh his/hers dance routine.

  • dflojak

    Oh, knock me over with a feather, Val, you should be writing for John Stewart. Hahahahaha. Dude, that was really, really funny. I’m dying here. Whew, almost peed my pants.

  • Valkyrie101

    You are right that it is unimportant. And what you said about the make-up of subscribers, sounds about right. And yet right now millions of rich, unemployed, ill-advised, liberal leaning techies are devising new ways to subvert American culture. Right?

  • Valkyrie101

    LT,
    Humor? I can assure you it turns out all right, LT. Are you a man of faith?

  • Valkyrie101

    Did I mention that I used to write for the Jonnie Carson show?

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ECYBIXNKAG5E46BC3GCJQPA7CQ well_its_no_cannibal_holocaust

    Wait, Goldberg and O’Reilly are complaining that an interviewer has a bias towards the person he is interviewing? Bwahahahahahahahahahaahahahahaha!!!!

    Fox News is a joke.

  • Valkyrie101

    LOL. Under the old system, the Real Royal Cosmic Overlord would be racking up thumbs downs. In that regard, he is still the undefeated king. He’s almost a liberal Bernie Goldberg (which possibly makes the king the fourth most powerful man in the world.)

  • Valkyrie101

    I don’t often sit Usually I fly right to the end of the line looking for the humble.

  • Thomas G Williams

    Tea party Taliban holy warriors.

  • Thomas G Williams

    He is a Rethuglican Faux Bot and is just doing what he is programmed to do, and he seems a little Moon bat crazy to boot.

    ringa-ling-ding

    That ought to get him into Barker Bagger Dog mind set and in full throat as well.

  • Michelle

    Stop lying:

    Why is the Obama administration defying federal law by funding ACORN?

    http://biggovernment.com/mvadum/2011/07/01/despite-congressional-ban-obamas-hud-is-still-funneling-tax-dollars-to-acorn/

  • http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

    Bernie should be careful when he disagrees with Bill, since O’Reilly recently stated he’s the most “powerful” man next to the President!!

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    Geez, more moronic whining. It’s your only reason to live these days, isn’t it?

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    Geez, more moronic whining. It’s your only reason to live these days, isn’t it?

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    That’s very good to know.

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    That’s very good to know.

  • Anonymous

    attack watch is an embarrassment but fortunately for the white house, no one except news junkies will care.

    Let’s just hope it created a few jobs!

  • Anonymous

    Another phony outrage that has no legs. 

  • Anonymous

    Say what you will about AttackWatch, but it owns comedy on Twitter.

    http://twitter.com/#!/search/realtime/attackwatch

  • Anonymous

    my previous comments to you stand.  

  • Anonymous

    When was he vetted?  I missed it, damn.

    A birth certificate just indicates you entered this world.  All the other “certificates” seem to be absent – thus no vetting.  

  • Valkyrie101

    You are the best RRE, all kidding aside. You make it happen here better than anyone.

  • Anonymous

    Bill-O Falafel !!!

    *drink*

  • Anonymous

    Racist !!!!!!!

    *1 BIG drink*

  • Anonymous

    Teapublicans !!!

    *drink*

  • Anonymous

    It’s difficult to become outraged over something as comical as attackwatch.  They are the joke of the month…LOL 

  • Anonymous

    That’s it,… that’s all? A teleprompter, that everyone else does, has, or will use and cigarettes that you don’t know if they are used! Wow! You can a least tell Breitbart, you wished an addiction on someone. That’s about childish enough for him to enjoy!

  • Anonymous

    Oh, god, you’ve blown this wide open!

  • http://www.facebook.com/johncvs John Maddox

    I think your very fluent in “Stupid”.

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